Newspaper Page Text
The Sylvania Telephone.
C. II. MEDLOCK, Editor and Purusiier.
VOL. II.
Good-Fellowship.
A pilgrim once, upon his way
Grew weary at the close of day,
And feeling on his eyelids oreep
The gentle drowsiness of sleep,
Dropped down upon the mossy ground
At last, in restful ness profound.
But, as he rose and onward trod,
He noticed that a single sod
Of earth, on which his lootsteps fell,
Exhaled a most delicious smell.
Said he; “ What magic spell is her#
To so enrioh the atmosphere ?
No common earth is this, I know,
To sweeten, by its oreiflow,
So broad a space beneath the sky,
And periume all who pass it by!”
The broken earth, in simple trust,
Replied: “I am but worthless dust;
But once a rose out of my breast
Shone iorih—its loveliness confessed—
And so my oonseerated mold
Was by another’s worth controlled.”
’l'is so with men, who fall or rise,
Often by kindred ministeries;
And that ihey do not downward slip,
They owe to goad-companionship.
—From the Persian, by Joel Benton.
CHANGING- HIS MIND.
“lama miserable man,” said Cyrus
Maddox, gloomily, “and it is best that
the world should be rid of my presence.
No one cares for me.”
“ Oh, don’t say that, uncle,” said Liz
zie Silver, beseechingly. “ You know
bow I love you. You are the only
friend I have in the world, and if you
were to die, what would become of
me?”
“I suppose young Guy Cheevers
would console you for my loss,” said
Mr. Maddox, grimly.
“ AS «ny rate, I don’t care. I will end
my troubles and sorrows to-morrow at
twelve o’clock.”
And with these fearful words, he
strode out of the room, leaving Lizzie
sobbing, with her curly black head
resting on a dinner plate.
“ What’j the matter now, Bess? Has
the milliner disappointed you in the
love of a bonnet?” asked a warm, hearty
,-moe i - rrfcli.b the
“ young Guy Cheevers,” as Mr. Maddox
called him—as that gentleman strode
into the room.
“Oh, Gus,” sobbed Lizzie, “Uncle
Cyrus is going to die to-morrow at
twelve o'clock.”
“ How do you know?” asked Guy.
“ He said so.”
“ But how does he know?”
“ He’s going to kill himself.”
“ So as to make himself a true prophet,
eh?” asked Guy, laughing.
“Oh, Guy, don’t joke!” cried L ! zzie,
tearfully. “He will; I know he will.”
“I doubt it,” said Guy, skeptically.
“ But he has tried to commit suicide
several times,” persisted Lizzy, tear
fully. “ Ouee he tried to smother him
self with burning charcoal, bat he for
got to stop up the keyhole, and I smelt
the smoke, and got some neighbors to
break open the door and save him.
Then he tried to hang himself, but the
cord broke, and he fired a pistol at him
self, but he forgot to put any ball in
it, so that failed, and then—”
“Gracious!” cried Guy, a3 Lizzie
stopped for want of breath, “ what a
determined man he must be. Such per
severance deserves to be rewarded.
Have you any idea what plan he will
try next?”
“ I’m sure I don’t know,’ ’ said Lizzie,
mournfully. “Something dreadful, I
suppose-”
“But what uoes he want to make
away with himself for?” asked Guy,
wonneringly.
“Why, he says, he is a miserable
man, a burden to every one, and that
life has no joys for him, and that he is
weary of this world—”
“And so would .ike to try the next?”
said Guy. “Perhapshe won’t find it as
pleasant as the one he is quitting. What
an unreasonable man he must be. He
i3 rich, talented, healthy, and has a very
pretty niece ’’—here, in a moment of ab
straction, he allowed his arm to wander
around Miss Silver’s waist—“and what
more can he want? But some people
never are satisfied. It seems he is de
termined to pry into futurity, and it
seems a pity to d sappoint so laudable
an ambition; but duty—duty to myself
compels me to interfere. I dislike
scandal or excitement. A corner’s jury
would cause both, therefore we must
balk his little game,”
“ But how will you do it?" asked Liz
zie, curiously.
“A prudent general,” said Guy,
haughtily, “never confides his plans to
his army, particularly when that army
is of the feminine gender—so excuse me;
mum’s the word; but rest assured, my
dear Elizabeth, that unless your worthy
uncle shuffles off this mortal coil in a
surreptitious manner before twelve
o’clock to-morrow, he will not do it
afterward—of course, I mean illegally.
Farewell till to morrow.”
Having concluded this address, Guy
strode off in a tragic manner, leaving
Rizzie greatly surprised, but still quite
SYLVANIA, GEORGIA, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1880.
reassured, for in her opinion what Guy
could not do was not worth doing.
The next morning Mr. Maddox made
his appearance very saturnine and
gloomy, and ate his breakfast with a
mournful air that was terribly impres
sive. Having finished eating, he then
took leave of his niece in a feeling man
ner.
“ I am about to leave you,” he said,
mournfully. “ I am about to put an
end to this miserable life. I hope that
you may ever be happy.”
‘‘Oh, don't go,” said Lizzie, tearfully •
clinging to him and looking up into his
face pleadingly.
“It’s useless,” said Mr. Maddox,
firmly. “ My mind is fixed, and noth
ing you may say can persuade me to relin
quish my purpose. But you, my dear
child, shall not be unprovided for. I,
.intend to make my will in the few nours
that are left me, and you will not be
forgotten. Good-bye, my dear child
farewell!” and then, after embracing his
niece fervently, Mr. Miliox rumed
from the room frantically anl securely
locked himself in his own room, and
began to prepare himself for his last
j jurney.
“ Nine o’clock,” he said to himself,
looking at his watch, “ Three hours
yet, Enough to do all I have to do.
r'irsf, to make my will.”
The last will aad testament of Mr.
Cyrus M i idox was evidently not a long
one, as it wa3 finished in an hour.
“ Eleven o’clock,” said M r. Maddox,
‘‘and I have finished. How slow the
time passes, to be sure. Now what
shall I do uutil twelve o’clock, for I am
determined not to die until noon—”
A knock at the door.
•‘Go away,” cried Mr. Maddox, an
grily. “ You can’t come in.”
“I am very sorry to disagree with
you,” said a voice outside the door,
“ but Pcan come in. I have a duplicate
key here, and if you don’t open the door
I will.”
Air. Maddox rose and unlocked the
d< or savagely, and Mr. Guy Cheevers
walked into the room, carrying an ob
long box under his arm.
He placed the box on the table and
then took a seat opposite Mr. Maddox
and^stared “What *<lo blandly at warn?” him. ttsked Mr.
you
Maddox, fiercely. “ D on’t you see that
I am engaged?”
“Oh, I know,” said Guy, “what you
are about to do. Don’t think that I’m
going to interfere; not at all. But be
fore you make your quietus, I wish to
ask you a few questions. Have you
provided for your niece’s future wel
fare?”
• What’s that to you?”
r Considerable. I am about to marry
Miss Silver, so her interests are natur
ally mine.”
“ Then she is provided for amply.”
“Thank you for your information.
Very glad to hear it. And .ow, excuse
tbe apparent impertinence of the ques
tion, but where is your will?”
“Here,” said Mr. Maddox, laying his
hand on it.
“Suppose you give it to me to take
care off? ’
“Give it to you. Why, pray?”
“It might become misplaced,” ex
claimed Guy.
“I’ll keep it myself,” said Mr. Mad
dox, roughly.
“ Then just leave a memorandum on
tbe table,” said Guy, earnestly, “to tell
where it is. It will save trouble, per
haps.”
“Get out,” cried Mr. Maddox, an
grily.
“Ah, I see,” said Mr. Cheevers,
coolly, “ in a hurry to begin. Well, I
won’t detain you, but I have a little sug
tion to offer.”
“ It is this,” said Guy. “ Miss Silver
informs me that you have made several
previous efforts to cut short your
troubles and your breath, and always
unsuccessfully. Now, it seems tome,
you don’t go the right way about it.
This box,” and here he opened the box
before alluded, “ contains several little
plans that I think might please you.
Here’s one,” and he showed a little
steel instrument.
“ What’s that?” asked Mr. Maddox,
curioudy.
“ This,” said Guy, “ is an article that
you can place around your neck like a
collar, then, by striking your hand on
the left side of your neck, a sharp spike
is driven right into your jugular vein—”
“But that would kill me,” said
Mr, Maddox, staring.
“Well, ain’t that what you want P”
demanded Guy, sternly. “Now here’s
another,” he wen ton. “ Here’s a wheel,
you observe. You place this band
around your neck, pass it under the
wheel, and give it two or three turns,
then let go. The recoil will twist your
head almost off your shoulders—kill you
to a certainty.
Mr. Maddox stared at him with un
feigned horror.
“ Then,” went on Guy, coolly, “ here’s
a little package—a torpedo. It contains
nitro-glycerina. You place it in your
mouth, snap your teeth on it, and off
goes your head, smashed .into millions
of atoms.”
“ONWARD AND UPWARD.”
“Good heaven,” exclaimed Mr. Mad
dox, fearfully. “ What a terrible idea.”
“ Not. at all,” said Mr. Guy, soothing
ly. “Beautiful invention—I quite pride
myself on it—scientific suicide, you
see! Anybody can take poison or
blow their brains out; but to do it
scientifically requires real talent. Y;.u
have it, and I am confident you will re
flect credit on my inventive skill. Now,”
he continued, confidently, “ if you could
use all three of these inventions at once
—cut your jugular, garrote yourself and
blow your head off, all at once—why
I’d thank you.”
“ What,” cried Mr. Maddox, fiercely,
“ do you think I’m going to use any of
your infernal inventions? Get out of
this room, you cold-blooded villain, be
iore I throw ycuout of the window.”
“But I have a great many more to
show you,” remonstrated Guy, “and
you see I want you to try as many as
possible. Well, well,” he added, as Mr.
Maddox grasped the poker threatening
ly, “ I’m going. But I’ll leave this box
here, and before you get rid of yourself
.just make a memorandum oi what you
will U3e, and leave it on the table, be
cause, you know, there will probably be
nothing left of you to draw conclusions
from, and so—”
Here any further speech was cut short
by Mr. Maddox’s seizing his visitor and
bustling him out in the passage.
“Well,” said Lizzie, anxiously, to
Guy.
“I think it’s all right,” said Guy, grin
ning. “Get the lunch ready. Your
uncle is all right. He’ll be down.”
And sure enough he was, and though
he spoke not, he ate most voraciously of
everything.
“ Lizzie,” said he, suddenly, after an
hour’s pause, “did you ever see an in
fernal old fool and an idiot?”
“ Never, that I know of,” said Lizzie.
“Why?”
“ Because, just look at me, and you’ll
see one,” said Mr. Maddox, grimly, and
he stalked upstairs.
Up to the present time of writing Mr .
Cyrus Maddox is still alive, enjoying
good health, and he seems to be on
friendly terms with Mr. Cheevers and
his wife Lizzie. Hi probably forgave
that gentleman on account of a dis
made that. ♦"’•<> nit
glycerine torpedo contained nothing
more dangerous than salt, and the
other “infernal inventions” we^e in
fernal in about the same ratio; but Guy
still maintains that when a person is
weary of life they should cease their
troubles by scientific suicide.
What Will Mrs. Grundy Say?
Noah M. Ludlow, of St. Louis, is
beyond question the oldest American
actcr and stage manager. He was born
five years before the nineteenth cen
tury came in, and he contronted his first
audience upon the boards at Albany in
1814. His active stage experiences, as
actor and manager, covered the period
from 1815 to 1853, and were, for the most
part, in the West and Sou’hwest. Mr.
Ludlow has just published his remin
iscenses ol the stage. Here is an inci
dent which occurred at Nashville, ai d
which may, perhaps* be accepted as an
explanation of the origin of the name
Mrs. Grundy as applied to public
opinion:
An incident occurred during the per
formance of the comedy of “Speed tin
Plow,” which produced considerable
merriment among the audience. In the
progress of the play, one of the char
acters, Dame Ashfield, frequently men
tions a person who, like Saree Gamp’s
“Mrs. Arris” (Harris), in one of
Dicben’s novels, is never seen—one
“Mrs. Grundy,” that in the dame’s
opinion would seem to be a "rural
oracle,” for she often refers to her by
remarking: “ What will Mrs. Grundy
say?” Now it so happened that there
was a family of that name living in
Nashville at the time, Judge Felix
Grundy and family, and Mrs. Grundy
was a lady that mingled with the best
society of that city, and was highly
respected; buc, being a member of
some church that prohibited its mem
bers visiting theaters, she was not
present on ttie occasion; so whenever
the name was mentioned there was a
general titter and a laugh throughout
the whole audience. This, to the actors,
was incomprehensible, until a friend
explained the matter to us. Judge
Grundy, after Martin Van Buren’s elec
tion to the presidency, was made at
torney-general of the United States.
The expression, “What will Mrs.
Grundy say?" soon after became famil
iarly used by writers in newspapers and
others to mean public opinion.
A Wisconsin cow died not long ago,
after a lingerin > illness, attended by a
persistent cough. After her death a
veterinary surgeon ope. ed the wind
pipe to discover the cause of the irrita
tion, and found in the upper part of
the lung a live striped frog of ordinary
size. The surrounding portion of the
lung was much discolored.
Don’t pick up a child for a fool. He
will ask you some questions that the
condensed wisdom of the world cannot
answer.—New Ilaven Register.
RELIGIOUS NEWS AND NOTES.
There are a number of vacant pulpits
in the Baptist churches of California.
Of the 60,000 inhabitants of Quebec,
54,000 are Roman Catholie.
There are 350 Christian churches in
Burmali, mostly Baptists.
The Lutherans of Nebraska expect to
gain 18,000 members by Scandinavian
emigration to that State.
Of the 208 Congregational churches
in Connecticut, 132 are in debt, owing
amounts varying irom ten dollars to
$25,0C0.
The Methodist Episcopal mission in
Italy reports 430 members and 279 pro
bationers—in all 709. There are twelve
native missionaries at work.
Thirteen bishops of the Methodist
Episcopal church have united in an ap
peal to the denomination to clear off
the indebtedness of the Metropolitan
church, Washington, D. C.
St. Patrick’s cathedral, in New York
city, is, according to a current item, en
titled to the distinction of having the
largest church debt in the country—
$400,000 in one mortgage, at five per
cent.
Mrs. De Groat’s church, built at her
own expense in Newark, N.J., cannot
have fairs, festivals or other entertain
ments held therein on penalty of the
property reverting to the original
owner.
The Protestant Episcopal church on
Ling Island has eighty-four Sunday
schools, with 17,478 members. Their
contributions last year were $19,650,
while the parishes gave for their sup
port $9,047.
The colored Baptists of Texas, Ar
kansas and Northern Louisiana, num
bering about 100,000, have determined
to build a college for the education of
ministers and teachers in the city of
Marshall, Texas.
The seven largest Congregational
churches in this country are: Plymouth,
Brooklyn, 2,549 members; Chicago,
First, 1,193; Central, Brooklyn, 1,048:
Broadway Tabernacle, New York city,
968; Church of the Pilgrims, Brooklyn,
Shar. ?? ffee- N--w
York city, 847; Oberlin, First, Ohio,
743.
Since the meeting of the general as
sembly in May last, twenty-two Presby
terian ministers have died. Their ages
ran from forty-3even, the youngest,
Rev. W. H. Dean, of Tucson, A. T., r to
ninety-three, the oldest. Rev. D. M.
Smith, of Princeton, N. J., both of
whom died in July.
The minutes of the fifth general con
ference of the Congregational church of
Alabama, give forteen churches with
732 members, and sixteen Sunday
schools, with 1,282 teachers and
scholars. The churches contributed
during the past year $1,659 lor parish
purposes, and $263 for benevolences.
In Rhode Island there are ;sixty Bap
tist churches, eight mission stations and
10,630 members, represented in three
associations. In Texas the Baptists
number 120,000 communicants of all
colors. In Colorado the denomination
has twenty-four churches and 1,100
members, but only nine of the churches
have pastors.
“ Go where there is the most sin,
sir,” said the old clergyman’s coach
man, when asked which of two calls the
dominie ought to accept. The good man
thought over it, and concluded that
where there was most money there
would be the most sin. So he accepted
the call which offered the most sub
stantial salary.
The Presbyterian church of Canada
reports 740 pastoral charges and 659
ministers. The pastoral charges em
brace 1,350 churches and stations. Con
nected with the church are 63 843, mak
ing a population oi 3J0.000. There are
107 971 members. During the year
10,748 were added to the fellow
ship of the church, the net in
crease being 3 619. The entire
income for the year was $5,162,154
A Lutheran student was sent out to
preach during the summer vacation
among the Swedes at Leadville. They
told him they did not want him, but he
said he had been sent there, and would
stay and preach, and took board in the
house of the man who had warned him
away. He reports that his perseverance
has been rewarded beyond his most san
guine expectations. In a trip afoot 150
miles over the mountains he found many
Swedes, and preached co a hundred
Scandinavians at Kokomo, 12,009 feet
above the ssa
Cincinnati has now seven colored
schools, giving the same course of in
struction as the white ones. Thirty
teachers are employed in them, all of
whom are colored except one.
Leigh Hunt was asked by a lady at
dessert if he would not venture on an
orange. “No, madam. I should be
very happy to do so, but I am afraid I
would tumble off.”
Fori Bowie.
In Southern Arizona, in what is
named, irom the tribe of Indians so
long its only human inhabitants, Pima
county, stands old Fort Bowie, on the
main trail from El Paso to Tucson.
Like most of the so-called forts in tiie
southwest, it is a low structure of adobe
sun-dried brick, and would make but a
poor defense against even the weakest
of modern artillery.
As a stronghold against the Indians,
however, it has on many occasions,
proved amply suiiifient. The country
in which it is situated k one of the
wildest and most barren portions of the
American continent.
The land everywhere presents marked
traces of volcanic action. The plains
are mainiy deserts, the mountains bar
ren rocks, often without a trace of vege
tation. The rivers run in deep candns,
whose perpendicular walls rise to the
height of two thousand feet. The
traveler may be in sight of water, and
yet require a journey of fifty miles to
reach it. Yet these rugged mountains
are rich in gold and silver, and the ter
ritory is rapidly developing and increas
ing in population year by year.
The completion of the Southern
Pacific railway will open up vast dis
tricts now too inaccessible to enable
mining to be profitably carried on.
Fort Bowie takes its names from the
famous Colonel James Bowie,
the inventor of the bowie knife, who
was one of the pioneers of Texas, and
in his search for adventure explored
many districts beiore unknown, except
to their Indian inhabitants—the great
tribes of the Comanches, Apaches,
Navagoes, Cayugas, Pimas and Mari
copas. Colonel Bowie fell at the massa
cre of the Alamo on the San Antonio
river, in Texas, on March 6, 1836.
The Alamo was a small adobe fort,
not unlike Fort Bowie in its construc
tion. It was defended by one hundred
and forty Texans, commanded by
Colonel William Travis, while the
Mexicans, led by Geneial Santa Anna,
numbered four thousand.
The Texans fought with such despera
tion that, when finally overpowered,
but six of the little band remained alive.
Among these were th<»^ celebrated
Colonel anffTfinjor David fevaoj. Crockett, 'itiey^urrenueicHTlb fJolon^ ^owie
Colonel Castrillon under his promise of
protection; but on being taken before
Santa Anna, were by his orders in
stantly cut to pieces. The Mexican loss
was one thousand six hundred. The
massacre of the Alamo was followed by
the battle of San Jacinto, which resulted
in the defeat of the whole Mexican
army, and the capture of Santa Anna
himself with most Texans; of his generals. the At
this battle the shouting
war ery, “Remember the Alamo!”
charged with such resistless fury as to
carry all before them.
Sardines.
These little funny creatures are caught
in nets, and after being well washed the
heads are cut off, and the fish are sprin
kled lightly with salt. After lying for
a few hours they are placed on girds in
lows almost perpendicular. The frames
are then placed in pans containing boil
ing olive oil. This oil is changed as
soon as it becomes too black and dirty
for continuing the cooking process. As
soon asihe fish are considered sufficiently
cooked they are withdrawn from the
pans of oil, and the girds are placed on
the tables covered with zinc, the surface
o! the tables inclining oward a groove
in the center. The oil is thus carried to
a vessel prepared to receive it. Around
these tables stand the women whose
business it is to pack the fish closely and
uniformly in boxes. The boxes being
full, the fish are covered with fresh oil,
and the lids are then soldered down.
Thus hermetically sealed they are placed
in iron baskets and immersed in boiling
water. The smaller boxes are thus
boiled for about half an hour and the
larger ones somewhat longer, in propor
tion to size of box. The fish are then
ready for the market, and being packed
in cases, are sent to the ends of the
earth.
Utilizing the Sun’s Heat.
Very practical results are reported to
have arisen from the experiments of
M. Mouchot in utilizing solar heat. By
means of a large collecting mirror,
twelve feet six inches in diameter, and
capable of resisting the strongest gale,
he has succeeded in raising more than
sixty pints oi water to the boiling point
in eighty minutes, and in an hour and a
half more produced a steam pressure of
eight atmospheres. During one day
last March, in Algiers, a horizontal en
gine was driven at the rate of 120 turns
a minute, under a pressure of three and
a half atmospheres; and at another trial
the apparatus worked a pump, raising
at the rate of 264 gallons of water an
hour one yard high. The pump was
kept going from 8 o’colck a. m. to 4
o’clock p. m., and neither strong winds
nor passing clouds sensibly interfered
with its action. M. Mouchot can now
readily produce a temperature applica
ble to the fusion and calcination of
alum, the preparation oi benzoic acid
the purification of linseed oil, the con
centration of syrup, the distillation of
sulphuric acid and the carbonization of
wood.
TERMS—$ I 60 per Year.
NO. 11.
Ode.
My soul goes out to greet thee,
With joy X ever meet tfioe,
Thou art no hollow sham
Or mockery;
Thou ticklost my diaphragm
On crockery.
Oh, sweet terrestrial solace of all woe.
To thee all hail !
Thou that in bronze glory e’er doth glow,
1 never fail to eat thee
With a sigh—
With joy I ever greet thee
Oh pumpkin pie!
— .‘Hr, us' Bazar.
MISCELLANEOUS.
“Amateur.”—“I have $100 in cour
terfeit money. What can I get for it?”
Answer.—“Ten years.”—New York Dis
patch.
“I hate these close-fisted fellows,’
said Swagger, as he picked himself up
after running against the shut digits of
a hard hitter.
An Indiana editor says: “ Coal-oil
rubbed on the neck and head will cure
hog cholera; we have tried it.” Who
can dispute testimony like that?
The original Seckel pear tree is still
standing near Philadelphia. It is near
ly 200 yearn old, and, of course, it is a
mere shell, though it still bears a few
pears.
Postage is cheapest in England and
the United States, and costlier in Rus
sia, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy,
Belgium, Holland and Switzerland, in
the order named.
“ Is your cough any easier?” said one
of poor Hood’s acquaintances, on call
ing to see how he was. “ It should be,”
said the wit, from bis pillow, “I’ve
been practicing all night.”
John Ericsson is said to have invent
ed a “ torpedo gun” which starts a tor
pedo off on its mission at a speed of
“ 160 miles a minute,” an initial velocity
of 14,080 feet a second.
It is possible that American competi
tion in meat will be as formidable as the
competition in wheat. America already
supplies twelve and a half per cent, of
the meat used in England
“ In what condition was the patriarch
Job at the end of his life?” asked ~
Brooklyn Bunday-s.'ohoo; teacher - of
quiet-looking boy at the foot of the
class. “Dead," ealmiy replied the
quiet-looking boy.
The bashful young man who asked a
lady if he “could see her home,” was
much surprised to hear her reply:
“ That he could go up and see it if he
wanted to, but she didn’t think her
father wanted to sell,” and then coolly
walk off with the man of her choice.—
Yonkers Statesman.
The mints of France belong to private
corporations, but coin money under the
supervision of the national authorities.
Any person possessing silver or gold
can have it coined, The five-franc
piece in silver is tlio only standard
national silver money, the other pieces
being mere bullion for market conven
ience.
To delect counterfeit coins an electric
contrivance of never-failing accuracy
has been introduced in the English
mint. Two pieces of metal exactly
alike will similarly affect two equally
strong currents of electricity. If two
such currents flow through two con
nected coils of wire, each of which con
tains a good coin, the balance of the
currents is not disturbed, as the coins
are duplicates of each other. But if for
cither coin a suspected coin be sub
stituted, either the balance of the cur
rents will remain undisturbed and the
coin is good, or it will be destroyed, and
an index will indicate the disturbance
and detect the counterfeit.
Population of Africa.
People who have forgotten their
school statistics may bs surprised to
learn that the population of Africa is
much greater than that of North
and South America. We are apt to
think oi Africa as mostly desert and
wilderness, with here and there a few
tribes of Arabs or villages of negroes.
Beyond the borderland with which civ
ilization is familiar, it is natural to
think of the inhabitants of Africa as a
few and far between, like our Indians.
As a matter of fact, Africa is much
more thickly inhabited than America.
Authorities which set the population of
the latter at 84,542,000, give the former
203,300,000. In the Soudan the popula
tion is rated at 80,000,000, one town on
the Niger containing 90,000 inhabitants.
East Africa is rated at 30,000,000, and
equatorial Africa at 40,000,000 souls. It
is estimated that the members of the
negro race number 130,000,000. “Many
of the tribes,” says our authority, “ are
above the condition of savages. They
have fixed habitations, though merely
mud huts, defended by stockades, and
they have some laws or customs favor
able to commerce. Among several
tribes the native merchant is greatly es
teemed, and property is safe even during
the war. The land is cultivated; the
inhabitants wear dyed cotton clothes;
gold and iron are ingeniously manufac
tured, and a certain kind of intelligence
seems to be very slowly spreading.”